AFSCME Informational Picket

The Little Rock Local of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union is planning an informational picket in front of the Little Rock City Hall on Tuesday, January 8 at 5 p.m., immediately before the City Board meeting.

Jim Nickels of AFSCME Council 38 said the decision to protest came after talks with the city “didn’t go anywhere.” Negotiations have stalled on whether the city should allow non-uniformed city employees who get fired the same appeals process currently afforded police officers and firefighters.

“If an employee gets fired,” Nickels said, “the appeals process for a non-uniformed city employee stops with the city manager. For the police and fire, it goes to the civil service commission, so they have an outside entity looking at the decisions. We don’t have that… they don’t have to, so they don’t want to.”

Ricky Belk of the Arkansas AFL-CIO has issued a call to all local unions. “We need as many people with Labor as possible to come and support our union brothers and sisters.”